World's top five lighthouse hotels

By Sheena McKenzie, CNN

Updated 10:42 AM ET, Thu May 9, 2013

Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

Water works – Few buildings capture the public's imagination quite like lighthouses. But as an increasing number of these towers become automated, the live-in lighthouse keeper may soon be a thing of the past.

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

Light relief – Many are now being converted into unique hotels. CNN brings you the top five from across the world, kicking off with St Anthony's Lighthouse in southwest England (pictured).

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

Remote and romantic – The lighthouse was also the backdrop for the 1980s children's TV show "Fraggle Rock." Today, guests can stay in the Sally Port Cottage.

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

High life – Head to the Netherlands and you'll find the restored art deco Harlingen Lighthouse hotel. "From the middle of the 18th century, fires crackled, acetylene gas lights hissed and the light system twinkled, because the many lighthouses Harlingen had were always rebuilt on the same spot," said former lighthouse keeper Piet Beuker.

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

Top views – Closed in 1998, the historic lighthouse has now replaced its giant glass light with a table for two overlooking charming Harlingen Harbor.

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

American dream – It's hard to believe the secluded 19th-century Saugerties Lighthouse is just a two-hour drive from Manhattan. But stay a night in the converted bed-and-breakfast guesthouse, and you'll soon forget the bustle of the city.

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

Picture perfect – Located on a spit of land halfway up New York's Hudson River, Saugerties offers stunning views of the water and nearby nature trails.

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

Creature comforts – A koala checks out the view from Australia's Cape Otway Lightstation. Built in 1848, the lighthouse, on the treacherous southeast coast, is the oldest in the country.

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

Mighty view – The dramatic Twelve Apostles are just 90 minutes by car from Cape Otway. The rock formations attract thousands of visitors every year but are slowly crumbling into the sea.

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Bright idea: World's top lighthouse hotels10 photos

Island retreat – San Francisco's 19th-century East Brother Lighthouse sits on an isolated land bank overlooking the glittering city and spectacular Mount Tamalpais. Today, guests can stay in the station's pretty guesthouse.

Walk up the spiral stairs to the top, and you'll find the giant light has been replaced with a table-for-two, offering sweeping views of the small fishing town.

"For centuries, sailors' eyes were fixed on this spot," said Piet Beuker, Harlingen Lighthouse keeper from 1970 to 1998. "Now the roles have been wonderfully reversed -- the beacon has become a lookout point."

Hudson hideout

It's hard to believe the secluded 19th century Saugerties Lighthouse is just two hours drive from bustling Manhattan.

The picturesque redbrick building sits on a spit of land around half-way up the Hudson River, surrounded by rolling hills and overlooking glassy water.

Built in 1869, the charming lighthouse became automated in 1954 and was largely left to decay until a campaign by local residents put it on the National Register of Historic places.

It was finally restored to its former glory in 1990, with guests able to stay in the innkeeper's quarters, wander around the on-site museum, or stroll along the surrounding nature trails.

Down Under wonder

For many of the first European immigrants arriving in Australia in the 19th Century, the first glimpse of their new home would have been of the treacherous Cape Otway coast.